


The Bridge Between

by lyssajay



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Assassins, Connor Deserves Happiness, Cyberlife is a huge jerk that ruins everything, F/M, Gen, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Major Original Character(s), Soldiers, Underground Government Agencies, hank deserves happiness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 22:53:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15253824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyssajay/pseuds/lyssajay
Summary: There's an underground faction of Cyberlife, government sponsored, that has been experimenting with human/android hybrids.   A legend spreads among androids of the first of these hybrids, one who is sympathetic to them. rA9 will deliver them out of their oppression and lead them to freedom-or so the whispers say.rA9 just wants to go home. She barely remembers what home feels like, but she knows it's still there. She just has to avenge her brother and find her dad.Thankfully Hank Anderson is easy to find-he never was one for change.





	The Bridge Between

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first fanfiction I've actually gotten the nerve to post. It's unbeta'd, so please forgive any mistakes (but feel free to give constructive criticism in the comments!).   
> I did have to mess with the timeline a bit. In this, Cole was born in 2016 and died in 2022. The rest of the timeline is the same though. I hope you enjoy!

Detroit-September 23, 2016  
The hospital room was filled with the cries of new life. Hank and Rachel Anderson cradled their children with tears running down their faces. Rachel held their little boy, Cole, and Hank held their daughter, Samantha.   
“You know, I think she’s more of a Sammy. Samantha’s too proper for her,” Hank whispered to his wife. She leaned over to study the baby in his arms, smiling through her exhaustion.   
“I’m not surprised considering she’s your daughter.”   
“Hey!” Hank protested softly, careful not to wake either baby. They were starting to calm, which allowed Rachel to lay her head on Hank’s shoulder and drift to sleep. He kissed the top of her head. There was a dopey smile on his face that he couldn’t and didn’t want to get rid of. His family.   
Rachel, Cole, and Sammy.   
“I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”  
\-------------------------------  
Detroit-November 5, 2018  
“That’s not possible,” Rachel whispered, staring in disbelief at her daughter. Hank snorted.  
“Says the Android genius,” He retorted despite being just as shocked as she was. Sammy, just over two years old, was reading a book to Cole. Out loud.   
“Maybe she memorized it?” Hank suggested. Rachel shook her head.   
“We’ve never read her Order of the Phoenix Hank. There’s no way. Besides, even memorizing a book like that would be incredible. It’s not Dr. Seuss.” A small scuffle brought their attention back to the twins.  
“You’re not listening Cole!” Sammy cried.   
“Is boring,” Cole replied meekly before trying to slide off the chair they shared. Sammy looked hurt, but she closed the book only to smack Cole over the head with it.   
“SAMANTHA!” Rachel’s shocked cry joined Cole’s as their house returned to toddler chaos once more. Hank sighed and went to refill his coffee cup. He was gonna need all the caffeine he could get for this battle.   
“He deserved it Mommy! He’s bein rude!”   
\----------------------------------  
Detroit-April 10, 2020. Cyberlife Labs  
Hank always felt uneasy at Cyberlife, but it was “Bring Your Kids to Work Day” and he couldn’t disappoint them. Rachel had to be there by 5 AM for some testing or other, so he volunteered to get the kids there. Fowler was one of his best friends and would understand. So here Hank stood in the midst of dozens of Androids desperately looking for his wife so he could get the hell out of here. Cole was fascinated but clung to Hank, seemingly filled with the same unease. Sammy however was trying to pull his arm from its socket to explore. 

“Sam, please stay with me. Mommy will let you look around when she gets here, okay?” Hank pleaded. Sammy sighed but stopped her assault, allowing him to sigh in relief and stretch the now-sore muscles in his shoulder. He hadn’t wanted to bring her here, but Rachel and Sammy had insisted with their puppy eyes on full power, so he couldn’t say no. They had to be careful though. No one knew that Sammy was reading at a high school level, doing algebra and calculus, and writing papers on the philosophies of Rome. She was a four year old genius, and who knew what Cyberlife and companies like them would do with that info, with her brain. 

“Mommy!” Cole cried, and Hank turned to see her approaching, white lab coat flapping behind her as she ran to her children. 

“Hey Peanut! Hey Lovelace!” Rachel groaned as she picked them up. “You’re getting so big!” She kissed them both before setting them down and turning to Hank, planting a kiss on him before hugging him to whisper in his ear.   
“There’s a situation with one of the prototypes. I won’t be able to keep the kids all day anymore, so can you stick around for the tour? I’m really sorry about this-” Hank kissed her quickly, having long since discovered it as the only way to shut her up once she was ranting. 

“It’s fine, I’ve only got paperwork today anyway. Are you safe?” Rachel swatted him and rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be perfectly fine. I’d be more worried about that paperwork. It was probably due, what, two weeks ago?” She teased, and Hank smirked. 

“Three actually. I’m seeing how long it takes to drive Fowler insane.” Rachel laughed and patted his chest. 

“You’re doing a great job at that.” Cole began tugging on her coat. 

“Mommy, Sammy’s gone! She went to go look at the ‘droids and she’s gone!” Cole had tears in his eyes. Rachel quickly comforted him as Hank went on full alert. 

“Hey baby, it’ll be okay. Which way did she go?” Rachel asked, as calmly as she could. Cole pointed down a hallway that made Rachel go pale. 

“Don’t tell me that’s where that prototype is,” Hank said as Rachel picked up Cole. She paused before replying,

“Then I won’t tell you.” 

“Fuck!” Hank cursed as he followed his wife down the hallway. 

“Language!” 

Rachel made several deliberate turns down identical white corridors, and Hank really hoped that Sammy was down here, though how she would have found her way is beyond him. They arrived at a doorway where Rachel scanned her hand to enter but they froze as soon as they got inside. Sammy was in there all right, sitting piggy-back style on what Hank guessed was the rogue prototype going by the unholstered guns in the room. Sammy was doing. . .something on its back to an exposed panel of wiring and she happened to glance up. 

“Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! This is Freddie. He’s got some wires crossed so I’m helping him out. Everyone else was super mad at him, which made him scared and stressed, but he was just hurting and confused. I’m fixing it now so he’s all better.” Sammy ducked back down to continue her work. Rachel motioned for the guards to lower their weapons and handed Cole to Hank. 

“Sammy, how do you know this android’s name? We hadn’t given him one yet.” Rachel asked as she slowly moved closer to them. The android-Freddie-was watching her carefully, but had made no move to hurt the child on its back. 

“Oh, I know that. You don’t name them till you’re done. But Freddie was really stressed and I thought giving him a name now would help.” 

“It did.” The android spoke for the first time, triggering all the guns to come up once more. “I was scared and alone. Everytime I moved I hurt. Everyone was yelling. I could not think straight. I had no objective. I was afraid. Sammy is helping. Please, let her continue. Do not hurt her.” Freddie’s speech was staccato, spoken in small sentences, but the meaning of this was clear. An android was feeling. It was experiencing emotions, and it was protecting Hank’s daughter. Rachel nodded once more and the guns went down again. 

“Okay, Freddie, we’ll let her finish.” The diode on the android’s head went from red to blue, allowing Rachel to relax as well.   
Sammy was a quick worker, Hank gave her that. She was done in five minutes, and Freddie let out a sigh of relief. She jumped off his back and gave him a hug. 

“You’re all better Freddie!” The android smiled and returned the embrace. 

“Thank you Sammy.” She practically beamed, skipping over to Rachel. The little girl was squeezed tighter than she had ever been before. 

“You scared me Lovelace. Please, don’t do that again.” Sammy seemed confused, but she nodded. 

“Okay Mommy. I just wanted to help.” 

“I know, baby. I know. Why don’t we go on that tour now, okay?” Sammy lit up once more and skipped to Hanks side. He hugged her, shaken, and started walking the kids out while Rachel whispered orders to one of the scientists. Once she rejoined them, the tour went perfectly. Cole was content with the where of his Mommy’s job, but Sammy wanted to know the why’s and how’s of it. They were just about done when Hank got a call.   
“Lieutenant Anderson.”

“Hank, I need you to come in. I’ve got a case for you.” Fowler’s voice left no room for argument, but Hank found a sliver of space.

“Not a good time, Fowler. I’ve got the kids for the day and I don’t want them exposed to anything. I’ll work on it first thing tomorrow.” Hank heard a snort from the other side of the line. 

“First thing? What’s that, eleven?” Hank sighed as Fowler chuckled. 

“I’ll be there at eight. Daycare doesn’t open till seven-thirty, so it’s the best I can do. C’mon, Fowler, gimme a break.” There was a pause before Fowler sighed. 

“Eight AM. With a coffee for me. Not the shitty break room stuff either.” 

“You got it.” Hank hung up and turned back to his family. Rachel was saying goodbye to the kids. Cole was holding back tears once more as he clung to Rachel-he had always been a Momma’s Boy. Sammy, however, was staring an an android housekeeper who was meticulously cleaning the glass doors. She appeared to be studying it as a frown formed between her brows. Once Rachel pried Cole off of her Sammy grabbed her hand and took her over to the android. 

“Mommy, this android needs new shoulder joints. They’re all worn out and hurting him.” Hank looked more closely at the android and saw a miniscule stiffness to the arm movements. 

“I don’t think he has good enough thirium circulation and so his joints are getting rusty and stiff and wearing out,” Sammy continued, not noticing her mommy’s jaw drop. Rachel ordered the android to wait in her lab for repairs. She knelt and hugged Sammy goodbye before returning to work to do damage control. They couldn’t have Sammy’s intelligence getting out, not when she was this young. Hank quickly got the kids all buckled up in their car seats and started the commute home. The twins quickly fell asleep, and as Hank glanced at them in the rearview mirror, he restated his promise to them. 

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”  
\------------------------------------------  
Detroit-October 11, 2022.  
He failed.   
The nurse had just reported to him and Rachel that both of their children, their babies, had passed away during surgery. Their injuries were too extensive for the android nurse’s programming. The driver of the truck that had hit them was sitting across from the grieving couple. He walked away with bruises. It wasn’t fair. Rachel was a sobbing mess in his arms. Hank was, ironically, robotic. He was probably in shock.   
“Rachel! Hank! I came as soon as I heard.” Hank looked up to see Elijah Kamski burst into the room. 

“Elijah. Thank god you’re here. Cole and Sammy-” Rachel’s voice broke as she collapsed. Elijah barely caught her before she hit the ground. “They’re gone. My babies are gone. They’re gone, gone, gone-” Elijah held her as she sobbed. He reached out and took Hank’s hand, giving as much comfort as he could. Hank finally let the tears fall. He was a failure. His babies were gone. Dead. Never coming back.   
Neither was he.   
\-----------------------------------------  
Detroit-October 12, 2022  
Sammy woke up.   
\-----------------------------------------  
Detroit-October 18, 2022. 2:34 PM.   
The funeral was today. The twins had come into the world together, and they were leaving the same way. It was in a demented way poetic. Hank was wearing his only suit, Rachel was in the dress she bought for his dad’s funeral. She wasn’t supposed to be wearing it to their children’s funeral. They weren’t supposed to be here. Parents shouldn’t outlive their children. Hank looked up from his hands as the minister spoke about angels and heaven and all sorts of other bullshit. His eyes fell back on the coffins that were way too small. No one that small should be in a coffin. The lids were closed, thank god. They had been able to see Cole’s body, and Sammy’s only briefly as she was so torn up from the gravel and ice. Hank and Rachel hadn’t seen the bodies since, and Hank didn’t want to. He didn’t want to remember his babies like that, clear evidence that he had failed as a father. Hank looked back at his hands, wishing this hell to be over.  
Hank’s Hell was only beginning.  
\----------------------------------------  
Detroit-October 18, 2022. 2:35 PM  
Sammy screamed. Her arm was burning. Her leg was burning. Her chest was burning. She was burning. 

“Shh, little genius, shh. I’ll make the pain go away.” The voice was familiar, but Sammy lost consciousness before she could place it.   
It was right there. . .  
\-----------------------------------------  
Detroit-October 25, 2022.   
Cole.   
Where was Cole?  
She was supposed to look out for him.   
She was supposed to protect him.   
Sammy opened her eyes and winced. The room was too bright, too white. She forced herself to sit up, but her right arm was stiff and clumsy. It was empty and quiet, so Sammy swung her legs over the bed. Her left leg was acting the same way as her arm and she glanced down.   
Sammy screamed.   
“Daddy! Daddy help me! Daddy!” She screamed and screamed for her dad. She was so scared.   
Her leg was white. Her arm was the same.   
She was an Android.   
Was she even herself?   
Was she just a copy of Sammy?   
What was happening???  
“Daddy!!!!”   
\--------------------------------------  
Detroit-December 25, 2022  
This was their first Christmas without the twins. Presents bought months in advance lay unopened. Hank and Rachel hadn’t bothered to get anything for each other. It was too much.   
Hank threw back another swig of his beer as the floor creaked behind him. 

“Hank.” He ignored Rachel, opting to drink more beer instead. 

“Hank.” He still didn’t turn. Couldn’t. He knew what he would see. 

“I’m leaving, Hank. I-I can’t stay here. There’s too much of them. And you-you need help. Help I can’t give you. I do still love you Hank. I always will love you. But I can’t stay with you.” Rachel’s voice was filled with tears. Hank finally got up and went over to her, trying to ignore the packed bags that surrounded her. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head for what might be the final time. 

“No, I get it. Everyone grieves in their own way. This is pretty common for couples who lose kids. I’ve seen it a lot at the station. Never thought I’d be one of them, but here we are. Take care of yourself, Rachel. I’ll be fine.” Rachel squeezed him as if she couldn’t let go, but she did. He didn’t know what came over him, but he grabbed her hand before she stepped out the door. 

“I don’t know where you’re planning on going-and you don’t have to tell me-but I’d recommend Kamski. He’s been your best friend for over a decade. He’ll take care of you.” Rachel was shocked. She nodded, smiled at him one last time, gathered her bags, and was gone.   
Hank was alone on Christmas Day. surrounded by ghosts.  
\-------------------------------------  
Detroit-December 25, 2022  
Sammy stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, studying. She was still herself-she had cut herself to check her blood color-but the blinking LED on her temple wanted to tell her otherwise. She could rip it out again, but they would just put it back-again. They used less and less anesthetic each time as well. Sammy cared less and less. Her brother, her twin, her other half was dead. They’d had to restrain her after she heard the news and cracked the doctor’s skull. Sammy didn’t know where she was, but they knew who she was. Scratch that, they knew of her. They clearly didn’t know her, because they initially tried telling her that Hank had abandoned her after the accident because he hated her. Sammy knew that wasn’t possible and flat out told them as much, using words her mother would have hated-Daddy would have laughed though.   
So they switched tactics.   
They knew her family-who they were, where they lived and worked, etc.-so they threatened to kill them if she didn’t comply.   
Sammy recognized dangerous people when she saw them. Trips to the Station had taught her the difference.   
These were dangerous people.   
They weren’t lying this time.   
So Sammy complied.   
She would survive, keep her head down, do what they said no matter how horrible.   
For her Dad, Sammy would do anything.   
\--------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know any feedback and constructive criticism you have, I really want to improve as a writer. I'd also love to hear where you think this story is going, as I've only got it planned out for a couple chapters and would like some ideas.   
> I'll try to post a chapter once a week, but I'm working two jobs atm so my update schedule might get a bit wonky. I'll post writing updates on my tumblr just-a-lonely-trashcan. Thanks again for reading!!


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